U.S. patent application number 14/743420 was filed with the patent office on 2015-12-24 for busline led module.
This patent application is currently assigned to General LED, Inc.. The applicant listed for this patent is General LED, Inc.. Invention is credited to Michelle Kun Huang, Gray Lankford.
Application Number | 20150369459 14/743420 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 54869295 |
Filed Date | 2015-12-24 |
United States Patent
Application |
20150369459 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Huang; Michelle Kun ; et
al. |
December 24, 2015 |
Busline LED Module
Abstract
A bus line LED module includes a printed circuit board on which
LEDs are mounted and lens portion formed over the LEDs. A pair of
wires is positioned beneath the printed circuit board within a
bottom portion assembly to form a top portion assembly. A pair of
windows within a bottom portion assembly enables access to a
portion of the wires where a metal-to-metal contact to the metal
inner portion of the wires is made. A pair of metal connectors
extends from the printed circuit board to make metal-to-metal
contact with the metal wires. A sealing connection is made between
the top portion assembly and the bottom portion assembly.
Inventors: |
Huang; Michelle Kun; (San
Antonio, TX) ; Lankford; Gray; (San Antonio,
TX) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
General LED, Inc. |
San Antonio |
TX |
US |
|
|
Assignee: |
General LED, Inc.
San Antonio
TX
|
Family ID: |
54869295 |
Appl. No.: |
14/743420 |
Filed: |
June 18, 2015 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
62013791 |
Jun 18, 2014 |
|
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Current U.S.
Class: |
362/311.02 ;
29/832 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F21S 4/10 20160101; F21V
17/101 20130101; F21V 21/002 20130101; Y10T 29/49131 20150115; F21Y
2115/10 20160801 |
International
Class: |
F21V 19/00 20060101
F21V019/00; F21V 5/04 20060101 F21V005/04; F21V 23/00 20060101
F21V023/00 |
Claims
1. A bus line LED module including a printed circuit board, said
printed circuit board having LEDs mounted on the top thereof and a
lens portion positioned over the LEDs on the printed circuit board,
said bus line module comprising: a pair of wires having an
insulated outer portion and a metal inner portion for conducting
electrical energy to the printed circuit board, each of said wires
in said pair of wires having a section of the insulated outer
portion removed to expose the metal inner portion therein; a bottom
portion assembly including: a block molded over said insulated
outer portion of said pair of wires, said block including windows
formed therein to provide access to said exposed metal inner
portion within said wires; a top portion assembly including: the
printed circuit board and the lens portion; a pair of metal pin
connectors electrically connected to the printed circuit board and
extending outwardly from the bottom of the printed circuit board;
whereby when said top portion assembly is placed on said bottom
portion assembly, said pair of metal pin connectors will pass
through said windows in said block and make metal-to-metal contact
with said exposed metal inner portion within said wires and the
lens portion will contact the top of said block to enable the
forming of a sealing connection between said top portion assembly
and said bottom portion assembly.
2. The bus line LED module as defined in claim 1 where said sealing
connection is a vibration connection.
3. The bus line LED module as defined in claim 1 wherein said
sealing connection is a sonic weld connection.
4. The bus line LED module as defined in claim 1 wherein said
sealing connection is a heat staking connection.
5. The bus line LED module as defined in claim 1 wherein said
sealing connection is a compressed heat gasket.
6. The bus line LED module as defined in claim 1 wherein said
sealing connection is a compressed glue gasket.
7. The bus line LED module as defined in claim 1 wherein said
sealing connection is a compressed chemical gasket.
8. The bus line LED module as defined in claim 1 wherein said pin
connector is a T-shaped pin.
9. The bus line LED module as defined in claim 1 wherein said pin
connector is an L-shaped pin.
10. A bus line LED module including a printed circuit board, said
printed circuit board having LEDs mounted on the top thereof and a
lens portion positioned over the LEDs on the printed circuit board,
said bus line LED module comprising: a pair of wires having an
insulated outer portion and a metal inner portion for conducting
electrical energy to the printed circuit board; a bottom portion
assembly including: a printed circuit board support having a pair
of channels formed in the bottom thereof and a pair of openings
formed therethrough; a top portion assembly including: the printed
circuit board and the lens portion; a pair of insulation
displacement connection connectors electrically connected to the
printed circuit board and extending outwardly from the bottom of
the printed circuit board; whereby when the said top portion
assembly is placed on said bottom portion assembly, said pair of
insulation displacement connectors will pass through said pair of
openings formed in said printed circuit board support, displace the
insulation in the insulated portion of the wires and make metal to
metal contact with metal inner portion of the wires and the lens
portion will contact the top of said print circuit board support to
enable the forming of a sealing connection between the said top
portion assembly and said bottom portion assembly and a sealing
connection around said openings in said printed circuit board
support when said wires are within said channels on the bottom of
said printed circuit board support.
11. The bus line LED module as defined in claim 10 wherein said
sealing connections are vibration connections.
12. The bus line LED module as defined in claim 10 wherein said
sealing connections are sonic weld connections.
13. The bus line LED module as defined in claim 10 wherein said
sealing connections are heat staking connections.
14. The bus line LED module as defined in claim 10 wherein said
sealing connections are compressed heat gaskets.
15. The bus line LED module as defined in claim 10 wherein said
sealing connections are compressed glue gaskets.
16. The bus line LED module as defined in claim 10 wherein said
sealing connections are compressed chemical gaskets.
17. The bus line LED module as defined in claim 10 wherein said
sealing connection between said top portion assembly and said
bottom portion assembly is selected from a group including a
vibration connection, a sonic weld connection, a heat staking
connection, a compressed heat gasket, a compressed glue gasket, and
a compressed chemical gasket and said sealing connection around
said opening in said printed circuit board when said wires in said
channels on the bottom of said printed circuit board is selected
from a group including a vibration connection, a sonic weld
connection, a heat staking connection, a compressed heat gasket, a
compressed glue gasket and a compressed chemical gasket.
18. A method of connecting a printed circuit board with LEDs
mounted thereon and a lens portion positioned over the LEDs on a
printed circuit board to a pair of wires having an insulated outer
portion and a metal inner portion, said method comprising: exposing
a section of the metal inner portion of the wires within each of
said wires; forming a block over said pair of wires, said block
having windows formed therein to provide access to the exposed
metal portion of the wires within each of said wires; forming a top
portion assembly using the printed circuit board and the lens
portion and further including a pair of metal pin connectors
electrically connected to and extending outwardly from the bottom
of the printed circuit board; connecting said top portion assembly
to said block so that said metal pin connectors pass through said
windows in said block and make metal-to-metal contact with said
exposed section of the metal portion of said wires thereby enabling
physical contact between the bottom of the lens portion and top of
said block so that a sealing connection can be made
therebetween.
19. A method of connecting a printed circuit board with LEDs
mounted thereon and a lens portion positioned over the LEDs on a
printed circuit board to a pair of wires having an insulated outer
portion and a metal inner portion, said method comprising: forming
a top portion assembly using the printed circuit board and the lens
portion and further including a pair insulation displacement
connection connectors electrically connected to and extending
outwardly from the bottom of the printed circuit board; placing a
printed circuit board support under said printed circuit board,
said printed circuit board support having channels formed the
bottom and openings formed to accommodate the passage of said
insulation displacement connection connectors therethrough; placing
the wires within said channels formed on the bottom of the printed
circuit board support; causing said insulation displacement
connection connectors to move through said insulated outer portion
of said wire to make metal to metal to metal contact with the metal
inner portion of the wires; forming a seal between the lens portion
and the printed circuit board support; and forming a seal around
the openings formed to accommodate the passage of said insulation
displacement connection connectors therethrough.
Description
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application claims the benefit of Provisional U.S.
Patent Application No. 62/013,791 filed Jun. 18, 2014.
FIELD
[0002] The disclosed device pertains to a system and method for
constructing and providing electrical energy to LED modules mounted
on wires.
BACKGROUND
[0003] LED modules are typically supplied to users in LED strings
wherein multiple LED modules are connected one to another by wires.
Not only do the wires physically connect the LED modules one to
another, but the wires provide either direct current or alternating
current electrical energy to a printed circuit board within each
LED module on which one or more LEDs are mounted.
[0004] Since strings of LED modules are used in many different
applications, the spacing of the LED modules along the wires often
depends on the ultimate use of the string of LED modules.
Accordingly, some users of strings of LED modules will order
strings of LED modules specifying a predetermined distance between
individual LED modules or groups of LED modules when the LED
modules are mounted to the wires. And, because LED modules are
typically individually manually attached to the wires, the
manufacturer attaching the LED modules to the wires must
individually measure the distance between the LED modules when
mounting the LED modules to the wire to form a string of LED
modules. Such measurement of the distance between LED modules is
time consuming and prone to error.
[0005] Accordingly, there remains a need in the art to eliminate
the time and errors associated with the process of manually
attaching individual LED modules to the wires to create a string of
LED modules.
SUMMARY
[0006] The disclosed device and method eliminates the time and
errors associated with manually attaching LED modules individually
to wires to form a string of LED modules.
[0007] The disclosed busline LED module includes a printed circuit
board. Mounted on the top of the printed circuit board are one or
more LEDs. Positioned over the LEDs is a lens portion.
[0008] Providing electrical energy to the printed circuit board is
a pair of wires. Each of the wires in the pair of wires has an
outer insulation portion and an inner metal portion.
[0009] The disclosed bus line LED module has a top portion assembly
which includes the printed circuit board and a lens portion. The
printed circuit board and the lens portion may be snap fit or press
fit together. Electrically connected to the printed circuit board
and extending outwardly from the bottom of the printed circuit
board are a plurality of metal connectors.
[0010] Beneath the top portion assembly is a bottom portion
assembly. The bottom portion assembly includes a passageway to
position the wires. Within the bottom portion assembly are windows
or openings in which the metal connectors are placed to properly
position them for engagement with the inner metal portion of the
wires when the wires are in the passageways.
[0011] When the top portion assembly of the busline LED module is
placed over the bottom portion assembly of the busline LED module
that portion of the metal connector which extends outwardly from
the bottom of the printed circuit board passes through the windows
or openings in the bottom portion assembly of the busline LED
module and makes metal-to-metal contact with the inner metal
portion of the insulated wires. In addition, the bottom of the lens
portion in the top portion assembly makes contact with top of the
bottom portion assembly of the busline LED module so that a sealing
connection may be made between the bottom of the lens portion in
the top portion assembly and the top of the bottom portion assembly
of the busline LED module.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES
[0012] A better understanding of the disclosed busline LED module
may be had by reference to the drawing figures, wherein:
[0013] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of the
busline LED module;
[0014] FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the busline LED module shown
in FIG. 1;
[0015] FIG. 3A is a partial sectional view showing the disclosed
busline LED module without the bottom portion;
[0016] FIG. 3B is a sectional view at line 3-3 of FIG. 1 showing
the disclosed busline LED module with the bottom portion;
[0017] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of the
busline LED module;
[0018] FIG. 5 is an exploded view of the second embodiment of the
busline LED module shown in FIG. 4; and
[0019] FIG. 6 is an end view of the busline module shown in FIG.
4.
DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS
[0020] As shown in FIG. 1, FIG. 2 and FIGS. 3A and 3B, the
disclosed busline LED module 10 includes three pieces.
[0021] Within busline LED module 10 is a printed circuit board 42.
Physically mounted to and electrically connected to the printed
circuit board 42 are one or more LEDs 44. Included on the printed
circuit board 42 are connections which enable the receipt of
electrical energy which electrical energy passes through electrical
componentry on the printed circuit board 42 to transform the
electrical energy into a form that will enable the LEDs 44 to emit
light energy.
[0022] Placed over the LEDs 44 is a lens portion 46. Each lens 45
within the lens portion 46 is positioned within a web 47 so that
when the lens portion 46 is positioned over the printed circuit
board 42, each individual lens 45 is positioned over each LED 44
thereby providing management of the light energy emitted from each
LED 44. Alternatively, the lens portion 46 may be a flat
translucent piece if management of the emission of light energy
from each LED 44 is not required.
[0023] As shown in FIG. 3A, the printed circuit board 42 and the
lens portion 46 form the top portion assembly 40 of the disclosed
busline LED module 10.
[0024] Beneath the top portion assembly 40 of the water proof LED
module 10 is the bottom portion assembly 20 of the busline LED
module 10.
[0025] As indicated above the printed circuit board 42 includes
connections which enable the receipt of electrical energy by the
electrical componentry which electrical componentry transforms the
electrical energy into a form usable by the LEDs. Such electrical
connections may be on the top, the bottom, or within the printed
circuit board 42. Wires 22, 24 conduct the electrical energy to the
printed circuit board 42.
[0026] In the first embodiment the bottom portion assembly 20 is a
molded plastic block 26 which is formed around the wires 22, 24 at
each place 21 on the wires 22, 24 where a section of the outer
insulation portion has been removed to reveal the inner metal
portion 27 of the wires 22, 2 . As shown in FIG. 2, within the
molded plastic block 26 are two windows 28, 29. Each window 28, 29
provides access to the inner metal portion 27 of the wires 22, 24
molded within the molded plastic block 26 where the section of the
outer insulation portion has been removed.
[0027] By use of the disclosed busline module 10 a variety of
different printed circuit boards, LEDs, and lens portions may be
used with one bottom portion assembly 20.
[0028] An electrical connection is made between the inner metal
portion 27 of the wires and the printed circuit board 42 by metal
pin connectors 48, 50. A variety of styles of metal pin connectors
to include T-shaped, L-shaped or straight metal pin connectors may
be used. In the preferred embodiment, a T-shaped metal connector,
as shown in FIG. 2, FIG. 3A and in FIG. 3B is used. The metal pin
connectors 48, 50 are included in the top portion assembly 40.
[0029] An upper part of each metal pin connector 48, 50 is in
electrical contact with that portion of the printed circuit board
42 which receives electrical energy by use of surface mount
technology well known to those of ordinary skill in the art. The
location of that portion of the printed circuit board 42 which
receives electrical energy may be either on the top, the bottom or
within the printed circuit board 42. The length of the metal pin
connectors 48, 50 enables the metal pin connectors 48, 50 to extend
through the windows 28, 29 in the block 26 in the bottom portion
assembly 20 of the bus line LED module 10 and make metal-to-metal
contact with the inner metal portion 27 of the wires 22, 24.
[0030] Once the bottom of the metal pin connectors 48, 50 makes
metal-to-metal contact with the inner metal portion 27 within the
wires 22, 24, the top portion assembly 40 and the bottom portion
assembly 20 may pass through an infrared reflow oven to melt solder
which can be used to connect the metal pin connectors 48, 50 to the
inner metal portion 27 of the wires 22, 24.
[0031] The length of the metal pin connectors 48, 50 is such that
when the bottom of the metal pin connectors 48, 50 engages the
exposed inner metal portion 27 of the wires 22, 24, the bottom of
the lens portion 46 makes physical contact with the top of the
block 26 in the bottom portion assembly 120 which is molded around
the wires 22, 24.
[0032] Once the lens portion 46 makes contact with the top of the
molded block 26 a variety of sealing methods including vibration,
sonic welding, heat staking, a compressed heat gasket, a compressed
glue gasket, or a compressed chemical gasket may be used to make a
sealing connection between the top of the molded block 26 and the
bottom of the lens portion 46. Such sealing methods enable the
formation of a sealing connection 52 between the bottom of the lens
portion 46 and the top of the molded block 26.
[0033] The construction of the second embodiment illustrated in
FIG. 4, FIG. 5 and FIG. 6 is similar to that of the first
embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1, FIG. 2, FIG. 3A and FIG. 3B.
Accordingly, the reference numbers used in FIG. 4, FIG. 5 and FIG.
6 are similar to the reference numbers used in FIG. 1, FIG. 2, FIG.
3A and FIG. 3B but for the numeral "1" in the hundreds place.
[0034] Within the busline LED module 110 shown in FIG. 4, FIG. 5
and FIG. 6 is a printed circuit board 142. Physically mounted to
and electrically connected to the printed circuit board 142 are one
or more LEDs 144 as shown in FIG. 5. Included on the printed
circuit board 142 are connections which enable the receipt of
electrical energy which passes through electrical componentry on
the printed circuit board 142 to the LEDs 144. The LEDs 144
transform the electrical energy into light energy.
[0035] Placed over the LEDs 144 is a lens portion. Each lens within
the lens portion 146 is positioned within a web 147 so that when
the lens portion 146 is positioned over the printed circuit board
142 each individual lens 145 is positioned over each individual LED
144 thereby enabling management of the light output from each LED
144. Alternatively, the lens portion may be a flat translucent
piece if management of the light output from each LED 144 is not
required.
[0036] As shown in FIG. 5 and in FIG. 6, the printed circuit board
142 and the lens portion 146 form the top portion assembly 140 of
the disclosed busline LED module 110.
[0037] Beneath the top portion assembly 140 of the busline LED
module 110 is the bottom portion assembly 120 of the busline LED
module 110.
[0038] As indicated above, the printed circuit board 142 includes
connections which enable the receipt of electrical energy. Such
connections may be on the top, the bottom, or within the printed
circuit board 142. Wires 122, 124 conduct the electrical energy to
the printed circuit board 142.
[0039] Extending below the printed circuit board 142 is a pair of
insulation displacement connection connectors 160. The insulation
displacement connection connectors 160 extend through openings 164,
166 in the printed circuit board support piece 158 in the bottom
portion assembly 120 and into open channels 168, 170.
[0040] Surrounding the top of the printed circuit board support
piece 158 is a locating rim 159 which fits within the lens portion
146. Adjacent to the locating rime 159 is a platform 161 on which
the outer portion of the printed circuit board 142 rests.
Surrounding each opening 164, 166 are sealing surfaces 165, 167
which contact the bottom of the printed circuit board 142.
[0041] Thus, when the wires 122, 124 are in the open channels 168,
170 the insulation displacement connection connectors 160 may be
pushed into engagement with the wires 122, 124. The sharpened
inside edge of the leg portions of the insulation displacement
connection connectors 160 cut through the outer insulation portion
thereby enabling metal-to-metal contact between the inside edge of
the leg portion of the insulation displacement connection
connectors 160 and the inner metal portion 127 of the wires 122,
124.
[0042] As with the first embodiment, the use of the second
embodiment of the disclosed busline module 110 enables the use of a
variety of different printed circuit boards, LEDs, and lens
portions with a single bottom portion assembly 120.
[0043] The top of each insulation displacement connection connector
160 is in electrical contact with that portion of the printed
circuit board 142 with receives electrical energy from the
insulation displacement connection connector 160 by the use of
surface mount technology as is well known to those of ordinary
skill in the art. The location of that portion of the printed
circuit board 142 which receives electrical energy may be on the
top, the bottom or within the printed circuit board 142.
[0044] The length of the leg portions of the insulation
displacement connection connectors 160 enable the leg portions of
the insulation displacement connection connectors 160 to extend
through the openings 164, 166 in the printed circuit bottom support
piece 158 in the bottom portion assembly 120, cut through the outer
insulation portion of the wires 122, 124 and make metal-to-metal
contact with the inner metal portion 127 of the wires 122, 124 when
the combination of the printed circuit board 142 and the lens
portion 146 is placed on the printed circuit board support piece
158 of the bottom portion assembly 120.
[0045] Once the bottom of the lens portion 146 makes contact with
printed circuit board support piece 146 a variety of sealing
methods may be used to include vibration, sonic welding, heat
staking, a compressed heat gasket, a compressed glue gasket, or a
compressed chemical gasket.
[0046] In addition sealing contact is made between the sealing
surfaces 165, 167 around the openings 164, 166 in the printed
circuit board support piece 158 and the bottom of the printed
circuit board 142.
[0047] Accordingly, what has been disclosed herein is a busline LED
module including a printed circuit board, said printed circuit
board having LEDs mounted on the top thereof and a lens portion
positioned over the LEDs on the printed circuit board, said busline
LED module comprising: a pair of wires having an insulated outer
portion and a metal inner portion for conducting electrical energy
to the printed circuit board, each of said wires in said pair of
wires having a section of the insulated outer portion removed to
expose the metal inner portion therein; a bottom portion assembly
including: a block molded over said insulated outer portion of said
pair of wires, said block including windows formed there to provide
access to the exposed metal portion of the insulated wires; a top
portion assembly including: the printed circuit portion and the
lens portion; a pair of metal pin connectors connected to the top
of the printed circuit board and extending outwardly from the
bottom of the printed circuit board; whereby when said top portion
assembly is placed on said bottom portion assembly, said pair of
metal pin connectors will pass through said windows in said block
and make metal-to-metal contact with said exposed portion of the
insulated wires and the lens portion will contact the top of said
to block to enable the forming of a sealing connection between said
top portion assembly and said bottom portion assembly.
[0048] In an alternate embodiment of the disclosed busline LED
module, insulation displacement connection connectors may be used
instead of metal pin connectors.
[0049] While those of ordinary skill in the art will understand
that various different sequences of steps may be used to construct
the water proof bus line LED module 10 of the present invention,
the following description of steps enables the construction of the
disclosed water proof bus line LED module 10.
[0050] The first step is exposing the metal portion 27 of the
insulated wires 22, 24 by cutting away a portion of the insulation
at predetermined intervals.
[0051] Once the metal portion 27 of the wires 22, 24 has been
exposed, a block 26 is formed over the insulated wires 22, 24. The
block 26 includes a pair of windows 28, 29 which provide access to
the metal portion 27 of the wires 22, 24 at predetermined
intervals.
[0052] The top portion assembly of the bus line LED module 10 is
then formed. The printed circuited board 42 is then snap fit or
press fit into the lens portion 46. The combination of the printed
circuit board 42 with the metal pin connectors 48, 50 extending
therefrom and the lens portion 46 are then positioned so that the
metal pin connectors 48, 50 extend into the windows 28, 29 in the
block 26 portion of the bottom portion assembly 20 so that the
bottom of the metal pin connectors 48, 50 engage the metal portion
27 of the insulated wires 22, 24 which metal portions 27 have been
exposed at predetermined intervals.
[0053] When the bottom of the metal pin connectors 48, 50 have
engaged the metal portion 27 of the insulated wires 22, 24 the
bottom of the lens portion 46 will physically touch the top of the
block 26. At the intersection of the lens portion 46 and the top of
the block 26 the lens portion 46 and the top of the block 26 are
connected one to another to create a sealing connection 52.
[0054] Accordingly, what has been disclosed herein is a method of
connecting a printed circuit board with LEDs mounted thereon and a
lens portion positioned over the LEDs to a pair of wires, said
method comprising: exposing a portion of the metal inner portion of
the wires within each pair of insulated wires; forming a block over
said pair of insulated wires, said block having windows formed
therein to provide access to the exposed portion of the said metal
wires within each of said wires; forming a top portion assembly
using the printed circuit board and the lens portion and further
including a pair of metal pin connectors extending outwardly from
the bottom of the printed circuit board; connecting said top
portion assembly to said block so that said metal pin connectors
pass through said windows in said block and make metal-to-metal
contact with the exposed portion of said wires thereby enabling
physical contact between the bottom of the lens portion and the top
of said block so that a sealing connection can be made
therebetween.
[0055] In an alternate method for making the disclosed busline LED
module, insulation displacement connectors may be used instead of
metal pin connectors.
[0056] While the foregoing device and method have been disclosed
according to their preferred embodiment, those of ordinary skill in
the art will realize that other embodiments will become known to
those of ordinary skill in the art after having read the foregoing
paragraphs. Such other embodiments shall be included within the
scope and meaning of the appended claims.
* * * * *